Fingerprinting device



Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiQE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in finger-printing devices.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a readily portable unitarycase for compactly and accessibly containing for convenient use substantially the entire equipment for finger-printing operations.

My invention has foranother object the provision of a device of the type stated comprising l" a casing and a unitary card-holder and impression-table so constructed and connected for selectively mounting the holder and table upon a wall of the case for convenient finger-printing operations and disposing the holder and table inopi; eratively within the case for ready portability.

My invention has for a further object the pro-' vision of a device of the type stated comprising a unique unitary record-card holder and table for facilitating finger-printing operations.

30 And withthe above and other objects in view,

my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims. :3 In the accompanying drawings (2 sheets) Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fingerprinting device constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, the card-holder and impression-table being shown in operative no position and connection with their support-providing and enclosing casing, the latter being in open position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary face or plan view of a record-card employed in conjunction with the device;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the card-holder and table and their enclosing casing, showing the holder and table in inoperative, housed position within the casing;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View of the structure, taken approximately along the line 44, Figure 3;'

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the structure, taken approximately along the line 5-5, Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the structure, showing the card-holder and table in an intermediate position.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates a preferably rectangular carrying or portable casing comprising a lower box-shaped bottomihember or shell l', hinged to a side wall a of 55 which, as at 2, is a preferably marginally flanged lid 3 equipped at its free margin with suitable tongues 4, the bottom-member or shell l being provided adjacent the top margin of its opposite sidewall 12 with swingable clasps 5 forengagement with the tongues l for releasably securing the lid 3 in closed position.

The lid 3 is preferably of somewhat shallower depth than the shell i and also functions as a tray for receiving and retaining various loose paraphernalia customarily employed in fingerprinting operations. J

Thelid 3 is also provided with a fiatwise extending interiorly disposed shelf 5 arranged for receiving a glass or other suitable plate Lupon which a given quantity of lamp-black paste 8 ,1 may be placed and rolled out into a film by a suitable platen roller 9, shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 1. And disposed in theshell l adjacent itssi-de wall a, is a longitudinally disposed vertically extending partition in, whereby the shell l is provided with a compartment ill for receiving and retaining the glass plate l for convenience of, and during, transportation of the casing A.

The shell I is further provided with a plurality of preferably rectangular compartments, as, for instance, compartments ll, l2, and E3, in which various containers, such as those indicated in dotted lines at c, 6, and 0, may be disposed, the central compartment l2 being preferably somewhat larger than the compartments H and .I3, so as to more coveniently accommodate a substantially sized hand-roller 9.

In addition, the shell l'is provided with a forward compartment ii, in which the combined record-card holder and impression-table B is disposed in a manner presently more fully de- I scribed.

The dimensions of the case or casing A and the various compartments thereof may be varied to meet any particular requirements. However, 40 certain dimensional features should be noted. In the first place, the depth of the shell I should .be sufficient 'so that the compartment It) may freely accommodate the width of the glass plate 1 while allowing'a marginal portion of the plate I to protrude from the top thereof so as to extend across the hinge-line 2 and snugly abut the face of the shelf 6 when the lid 3 and the shell I are in closed position. Further, the width of the case .A from side to side should be substantially greater than the width of the member B, so that a pair of small cross compartments l5, it, may be provided in each end of the compartment M for filing cards or the like. j

The'member .13 comprises a table I! having flat parallel top and bottom faces, as at d, e,

respectively, a preferably convex forward vertical margin, as at f, and a preferably concave rearward vertical margin, as at g.

Disposed perpendicularly or right-angularly on the opposite ends of the table I1, is a pair'of end-members l8 having registering slots l9 opening to a side face, as best seen in Figure 5, and,

ends in the apertures 22 of end-plates 20, is a platen 24 formed of rubber or other similar semiresilient material, for purposes presently described and as best seen in Figures 3 and 5, the

platen 24 having, a diametrical dimension such that it will snugly fit within, but not engage the concave vertical marginal portion g of the table l1. As best seen in Figures 1 and 3, the shaft 23 is preferably so elongated to extend at an end through the aperture 22 of one of the end-members 20' for receiving a suitable turning knob or handle 25. 7

Also fixed to, and rigidly disposed between, the end-members l8 in fiatwise underlying relationship to the table I7, is a plate 26, the upper face it of which is parallel to, and spaced perpendicularly or vertically from, the face e of the table IT to provide a slot or opening therebetween through which a record-card C may be passed, the plate 26 also extending rearwardly beneath, and being 7 radially spaced from, the periphery of the platen 24.

Rotatively mounted in, and extending between,

the yoke members 2|, is a shaft 21, which is re siliently retained in position by hook-ended leafspring members 28 mounted on the end-members I8, as best seen in Figures 1 and 5, the shaft 21 having fixed thereupon a plLuality of suitably spaced small cylindrical feed rolls 29 for forcing a record-card C into engagement with the platen 24 in a manner presently described. Suitably fixed on the lower margin of each of the endmembers I8, is a spring catch-member or hook 35 positioned in a manner and for a purpose presently more fully described.

Disposed in, and fixed fiatwise to the bottom Wall 2' of, the compartment [4, is a mounting block 3| preferably suitably covered for neatness of appearance, and fixed fiatwise upon the upper face of the block 3|, is a pair of suitably spaced cushioning strips or pads 32 upon which the member B may rest when in folded or inoperative position.

Rigidly attached to the block 3| by means of suitable screws or the like 33, are brackets 34, pivotally connected at an end to which are suitable links or arms 35, which, in turn, at their other or upper end are pivotally connected to studs 36 projecting outwardly from the respec tive end-plates 20 of the member B.

Looped or entwined at an end, as at 7', around the body of each of the respective links or arms 35, is a wire-spring member 31, which extends longitudinally along the particular link 35 and is 7 each other a sufdcient distance, so that, when the member B is in set-up or operative posiis moved or shifted upwardly out of the, compartment l4, whereupon the links or arms 35 pivot at their lower end about the brackets 34 and at their other or upper end about the studs 36, as shown in Figure 6, the spring-members 37 operating to yieldingly retain the member B in lowered or inoperative position within the shell I. Meanwhile the outward movement-of the member B is con- 'tinued until the forward edge-portions 'k of the links or arms 35 come into abutting engagement with the inside top margin of the wall b of the shell I, as shown in Figure 6. In this position, it will be'apparent that the forward marginal portion of the member B is tilted upwardly, and the inner faces of the respective hooks 30 are in loose engagement with the outer top edge of the wall I; of the shell I. The member B is thereupon at its forward marginal portion pushed downwardly, the spring hooks 30 being thereby forced into tight engagement with the upper marginal portion of the wall I) of the shell I and the end-members 2E! brought down to rest in supported position upon the top edge of the shell wall 12. Thus, the link-springs 3! and hooks 30 being in opposed relation, the member B is readily and conveniently disposed upon the wall b in operative position with respect to its enclosing casing A.

A suitable record-card, such as that shown at C in Figure 2, may thereupon be inserted through the slot intermediate the table I 1 and plate 26 and around the periphery of the platen roller 24 7 between the feed'rollers 29 and outwardly upon the upper face 12 of the table, I7. A suitable amount of lamp-blaCkpaste, or other suitable finger-printing impression-taking material, may be rolled out upon the plate 1 and the subject's fingers coated therewith in the conventional manner. The subjects fingers 'may thereupon be pressed downwardly upon the surface of the record-card, which is supported fiatwise by the face (1 of the table l1, whereupon a highly satisfactory and accurate finger print impression will be made.

It should be noted that most record-cards are transversely sub-divided into a plurality of frames or finger print spaces 3 by ruled lines 1', so that the various imprints of the different fingers of the subject may be. impressed therein. For such reason, it is highly desirable that the feed rolls 29 be spaced along the feed roll shaft 23 so as to come into contact with the record-card along the ruled lines r, thereby avoiding any smearing or smudging of the impression as the card C is being rolled through the device.

It will be further noted that, during fingerprinting operations, the entire card C is firmly held in the member B, so that the free end thereof does not extend inwardly of the case A, contact with the bottles of fluid, 'inkflandthe like normally disposed in the interior of the casing being thereby obviated.

Subsequently, the member B may be elevated to disengage the catches or hooks 30 from the wall I) and then reversely inwardly and downwardly shifted to inoperatively rest on the cushioning strips 32, and the lid 3 closed and locked, when the entire structure is most conveniently portable as occasion requires.

Thus, I provide a combined finger-printing case and record-card holder and table, which is compact and convenient in arrangement, which is exceptionally simple and economical'of construction, and which is exceedingly efficient in the performance of its intended functions.

Preferably and as shown, the shell wall 17 is provided at suitably spaced points on its upper margin with inverted U-shaped clips 38 for reinforcing such wall against wear under engagement with the wall of the catch-members 3|]; and it will be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the device may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,--

1, In a finger-printing device, in combination, a housing comprising a fixed bottom wall and a fixed upstanding side wall, and an impressiontable swingably secured to the housing for selective inoperative disposition uprightly upon said bottom wall and for operative disposition uprightly upon said side wall.

2. In a finger-printing device, in combination, a housing comprising a fixed bottom wall and a fixed up standing side wall, an impression-table, and means including links pivotally attached to the latter and to said bottom wall for selectively disposing the table inoperatively in upright position upon the bottom wall and mounting the table operatively in upright position on said side wall. 7

3. In a finger-printing device, in combination. a housing comprising a fixed bottom wall and a fixed upstanding side wall, an impression-table, and means for selectively disposing the table inoperatively in upright position upon the bottom wall and mounting the table operatively in upright position in horizontal position over and. upon the upper margin of said side wall.

4. In a finger-printing device, in combination, a housing comprising a bottom wall and an upstanding side wall, an impression-table, and means for selectively disposing the table inoperatively upon the bottom wall and mounting the table operatively in horizontal position over and upon the upper margin of said side wall, said means including links pivotally attached to the bottom wall and to the table, springs engaging the links and the table for yieldingly urging the links to shift the table to inoperative position, and a catch-member on the table for opposing releasable engagement with said side wall.

5. In a finger-printing device, a carrying case having a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being adjacent an outside face of the carrying case, a record-card holder, links pivotally secured at an end to the record-card holder and at their other end to the carrying case interiorly of said compartment, and a springcatch on the record-card holder for retentive engagement with the carrying case when the rec ord-card holder is in operative position.

6. In a finger-printing device, a carrying case having a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being adjacent an outside face of the carrying case, a record-card holder, links pivotally secured at one end to the record-card holder and at their other end to the carrying case interiorly of said compartment, and springmeans co-operatively associated with the links for normally urging the links downwardly into the compartment.

7. In a finger-printing device, a record-card holder comprising a table having an upwardly presented card-receiving face, end frames fixed to the table, a plate fixed to the end frames and disposed under and in spaced slot-providing relation to the table, and a platen rotatably disposed between the end frames and in parallel relation to a margin of the table having a diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the table.

8. In a finger-printing device, a record-card holder comprising a table having an upwardly presented card-receiving face, end frames fixed to the table, a plate fixed to the end frames and disposed under and in spaced slot-providing relation to the table, a platen rotatably disposed between the end frames and in parallel relation to a margin of the table having a diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the table, and a feed-roller mounted on the holder in registering card-shifting co-operation with the platen.

9. In a finger-printing device, a record-card holder comprising a table having an upwardly presented card-receiving face, end frames fixed to the table, a plate fixed to the end frames and disposed under and in spaced slot-providing relation to the table, a platen rotatably disposed between the end frames and in parallel relation to a margin of the table having a diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the table, a shaft mounted between the end frames, and a plurality of feed-rollers mounted for rotation on, and at spaced intervals along, said shaft for card-shifting co-operation with the platen.

10. In a finger-printing device, a carrying case having a plurality of compartments, one of said compartments being adjacent an outside face of the carrying case, a record-card holder adapted to fit in overlying superposed relation upon the bottom of said compartment with its forward longitudinal margin parallel to and adjacent said outside face, links disposed for swingable operation at right angles to said outside face and being pivotally connected at one end to the bottom adjacent said outside face and being pivotally secured at the other end to the record-card holder at a point spaced substantially rearwardly from the forward margin of said record-card holder, and spring means co-operatively associated with the links for normally urging the links downwardly into the compartment.

11. In a finger-printing kit, a record-card holder comprising a substantially thick bodymember, end frames mounted on the opposed transverse margins of the body-member and extending outwardly beyond a longitudinal margin thereof, a platen rotatably disposed between projected ends of said frames, an upwardly presented face on the body-member for supporting a portion of the card during imprinting operations, and means mounted beneath the bodymember and spaced therefrom in the formation of a record-card receiving aperture extending beneath the body-member parallel to the upwardly presented face.

ORVILLE T. BOUNDS. 

